Nolan Harris - making icons out of normal people like you and me

Nolan Harris is a digital caricaturist based in Seattle, USA. If you have a look at his Instagram feed @nolanium, I'm pretty sure you'll see a comic-book character, wwe-wrestler or a zombi* within the last 3 posts. If that's not the case drop me a line, I have to see that! His art ranges from corporate employee avatars, epic superhero scenes to rather NSFW (lol) caricatures of unsuspecting customers in a fair.

Nolan has made avatars for all the PaperLike team members he'll surely be happy to make a zombi or super hero out of you! So definitely drop him a line if you want to be iconised.

Every post of his has the Nolanium signature line art, smouldering intensity and the occasional cheeky edge. Now to the PaperLike artist interview:

When did you go "digital" with your art? I first started my digital journey in 2002 while attending the Savannah College of Art and Design. I most used digital to color my traditional illustrations, but made the transition to drawing exclusively on a tablet in the year 2010. It was a pretty tough transition initially, but after a few months of practice, my drawings really started to take shape.

What inspires you?I am super inspired by comic books, pro-wrestling and seeing the work of fellow caricature artists. Every time I see another artists approach I try to put myself in their shoes and think about how and why they made certain artistic choices. Many times I’ll try to incorporate those approaches into my own work.

Do you have any tips for aspirational artists who are just starting with digital art?Don’t get caught up in mastering drawing apps. They are merely a tool. Focus on becoming a good artist and the rest will fall into place.

How does PaperLike help you in the process of creating digital art?I really enjoy the texture and the fell of PaperLike. By eliminating the slickness of the iPad screen, I’m able to focus on creating good work instead of fixing mistakes that were the result of drawing on glass.

How long does it take you to create an artwork?Most of my pieces only take a couple of hours. I try to crank out a solid gesture sketch first and spend most of my time adding detail with the digital inks. Adding color and texture effects takes the least mount of time.

Who do you look up to in the digital art world?I’m a huge fan of Jeff Stahl and Anthony Geoffroy. They are fantastic caricature artists and masters of the digital medium. Also check out Dan Hipp. Although most of his work isn’t digital anymore, he’s still a fantastic illustrator/designer.

What does your ideal working space look like?Lol, my ideal work space is my living room couch in front of my TV.

What are your favourite tools? What is your go-to drawing app?I draw exclusively in Autodesk’s Sketchbook app for iPad Pro. My favorite tool for drawing is the Signature Ink brush. It’s got a gritty/textured feel, but still retains the smooth line transitions that I enjoy drawing.

Is there a question you get very often? Tell us about it!Hahaha, I’m constantly asked about my drawing tools and the settings. It’s so difficult to answer everyone, but I try my best to do so. I have to admit it gets a little tedious after a while.

Where can readers find out more about you and reach out?Check out my work on Instagram @nolanium and on Twitter @nolanium. Follow my caricature business @overthelineart

Thanks Nolan for taking your time and giving us an insight to your work, it has been a joy and we can't wait to see more of your art!

The PaperLike won't automatically make your drawings iconic, but it will make the process of drawing on the iPad with the Apple Pencil so much more enjoyable! 1 year 100% satisfaction guarantee -Give it a try!

* Today is halloween, maybe it's a seasonal thing so don't pin me down on that!

Leave a comment

Comments will be approved before showing up.

Name *

Email *

Comment *

Also in PaperLikers Insights

Sylvain Saulne is a digital artist that often features giants just being themselves in modern urban settings. In this blogpost Sylvain tells us what is his best trick to kick-off creativity for him. His work is awesome, definitely have a look!

Ramona MacLean is a digital artist based in Vancouver, Canada. She has an avatar of herself that decided to take on a life on her own, and in this blogpost we found out what's behind her cheeky character "Little Ramona" and what got her into digital drawing in the first place.